"The only reason I'd want to return to childhood would be to travel on the steamboats that once sailed the Magdalena."
Gabriel García Márquez.
Our Story
In February 2020, Naviera Fluvial Colombiana celebrated its centennial, marking 100 years of history since its founding. The company began operations navigating the Magdalena River with the steamship Tolima and two boats capable of transporting 220 tons of cargo. In its early years, its primary mission was the transport of goods, passengers, and mail throughout the country.
The Muñoz family entered the river transport sector in September 1949, led by Dr. Humberto Muñoz Ruíz. Just seven years later, in 1956, they acquired Naviera Fluvial Colombiana. At that time, passenger river transport was in decline, marking the end of the so-called "Golden Age of Navigation." The iconic express steamships, often referenced in the works and interviews of Gabriel García Márquez, were nearly out of operation due to high operating costs and the government’s preference for other modes of transport.
During the 1960s, the company focused its efforts on the transport of liquid bulk cargo, a type of freight that Humberto Muñoz Ruíz identified as having significant growth potential. This vision led to the difficult decision to retire the underutilized express steamships and renew the fleet to meet the evolving demands of the market.
With the modernization of its tugboats, Naviera Fluvial Colombiana established the most efficient and modern fleet in the country. The company stands out as the only river transportation provider in Colombia with its own shipyard, operating since 1939 in Barranquilla. In 2010, it made a landmark achievement in the nation’s fluvial transport history by constructing Colombia’s first domestically-built tugboat, the Humberto Muñoz. With over two decades of operation, this tugboat remains a global benchmark for quality and performance.
In recent years, the company has built 17 multipurpose barges, including 10 specifically designed for transporting solid bulk cargo. Additionally, it has modernized and upgraded its tugboats and converted over 35 single-hull barges to double-bottom designs, reinforcing its commitment to safety and environmental stewardship.
Hoy en día, Naviera Fluvial Colombiana es reconocida como la empresa con mayor experiencia en el transporte fluvial de grandes volúmenes de carga, brindando un servicio eficiente, seguro y sostenible, comprometida con la preservación del medio ambiente.
